I wonder about penetration with 42# and a finished arrow weight of 465 grains (including the head).
Will the 150 grain Woodsman (3 blade) penetrate as well as a 150 grain 2 blade?
Would the difference be small enough to not be considered?
Thanks for your thoughts and experience, Skychief.
No offense but do a search on here and this topic has been....... :deadhorse:
I'm trying a 450 arrow total weight out of my 45# bow this year.
Tipping them with a 175 VPA 3 blade....We'll see...
No offense taken Henry. A search doesn't show setups as light as mine. That's why I posted.
Thanks, Skychief.
The 3 blade broadhead worked for me with same bow weight. Only difference was heavier arrow-closer to 520. My son used a similar setup to yours for the first 3 years of his bowhunting and had no problem harvesting deer each of those 3 years.
Have also harvested animals with 160 grain 2 blade heads so either broadhead will do the job. The choice is really yours to make.
Thanks Kelly. Do you guys get complete pass throughs?
It will most likely do ok, but I would prefer a 3:1 ratio 2 blade for that set up.
Good discussion. I too am dropping down in bow weights and was wondering if my Woodsman heads would still get 'er done. Last year I hunted with a 50 # recurve and this year I'm leaning towards a lower poundage longbow. Probably something close to 40#'s. It is sad how one year older and the joints and such are so much worse off!
I guess for me it is more about which heads fly better and hit where I am looking than the design of 3 blades versus 2. I think it is true that broadhead placement is more important than design.
Got to get out and do some experimenting soon. Hopefully our string of 100 degree days will be ending and I can do that!
K.C. <><
I am sure the woodsman will do fine. It being as long and skinny as it is. But we all know that a 2 blade will out penetrate any threee blade made. I shot deer last year with 48-49 pound Maddog longbow and 2 blade heads and got a complete passthru on a broadisde deer thru both shoulder blades, and I shot the second one down thru the neck, boiler room and out the sternum as she looked up at me. That one did not go completely thru but buried to the feathers poking out the bottom.
Thos MAddog Midsize longbows shoot real hard, and I was only drawing 26 inches; so if you are drawing 27 or more, it would be comparible or even more energy than what I had. I would shoot what I had but when it come time to buy new ones they would be 2 blades. Good luck and God Bless
I have had no issue with my Woodsmans in my 40# set-up. I was using 2 blade heads but had trouble with blood trails. Had someone bring up the fact that Iowa deer are fat and that fat can plug up the hole from a 2 blade. I like the woodsman blood trail much better. Just make sure they are sharp and put the arrow in the right spot!
:thumbsup:
My set-up works great!
Either one will work fine. I prefer 2 blades single bevel as I can get them sharper than any other type of head. If you can get the 3 blade as sharp or sharper than the 2 blade than use it.
I like the physics of the pyramid shaped woodsman...They penetrate very well. I'll be using a 150grain woodsman for elk this August goine for the extra blade but narrower profile. I just feel that the pyramid tip is stronger and punctures skin better than a two-blades tip.
I shoot 42# at my draw. I only use two blade broadheads 325 to 350 grain heads on 28 1/2" Beman 500. If I hit my quarry in the chest with a pass through, I feel I get good blood trails. I don't get consistent pass through with 3 blade heads compared to 2 blade. I've been fortunate to take some heavy/fat animals with 42# with very good blood trails...tippit
Hey Skychief....you might want to take a look at Zwickey Eskimo 4-blade broadheads. I my experience they penetrate great and leave better blood than just a 2 blade Eskimo. If ya ain't happy with how they penetrate after you try them, you can always break the bleeder blades off!
Great thread! My son will be archery hunting his first year with a 43# @ 28" Maddog Kaliska. He is only pulling a little over 26, so I put ACE 2-blades, 125 grain on his bamboo arrows. About 450 grain arrows, should do the trick! Those ACE heads are poppin' sharp after a little touching up! Anxious to see the results if he arrows something this year.
Eventually I want to order some 42-44# limbs for my PSAX Widow. I have a couple dozen of the Autumn Orange XX75's in 1918 that I need to use up and need a lighter set of limbs for proper spine. I would not have a second thought about using the 3 blade Woodsman with that set up.
40# - 45# Bow Harvest Pics? Do a search for this one
im shooting about 50-51 lbs and will be using the 3 blade woodsman elites.
QuoteOriginally posted by skychief:
Thanks Kelly. Do you guys get complete pass throughs?
Yes, on most there are two holes-sometimes if quartering away there is only one but both lungs so still short blood trails.
My wife shoots 45# at 26" and shoots both four blade Phantoms (200 grains up front) or 3 blade Razorcaps which are similar to the Woodsman heads. She has no trouble at all with penetration and getting two holes on big game. Pass thru on an adult bear with a 30 yard trail. Remember, when Fred Bear came out with the four blade Razorhead the average bow weight was 45# and anything over 50 was considered a "big" bow. I feel I should recommend heavy FOC...at least 200 grains, as well, as that will aid in penetration. Sharpness matters.
I shoot both 2-blade STOS heads and Woodsmans out of my 42-46# bows. I must say, there may be a tad more penetration with the STOS heads, but oh that blood trail with the 3-blade! And I think they fly better than the 2-blade.
The most important thing (as you guys know) is shot placement. There is no doubt in my mind that a two blade is tougher and will out penetrate a Woodsman.
With that said, I would shoot whatever you can get really sharp and fell most confident with.
About two blade blood trails... I "thought" that I had sharp broadheads until I saw/felt the heads that Pat Byrne uses to kill all the hogs he takes. He uses two blade heads and it is amazing the incredible percentage of hogs he shoots vs finds- Close to 100% on dozens of hogs each year. What I found is that his heads (no matter the brand) are MUCH sharper than I thought possible and he gets blood trails significantly better than what I have experienced with the same (but less sharp) two blade heads.
Some of you guys may be in the same boat as me with the two blade heads...they (quite frankly) are sharp but not "crazy" or "scary" sharp and that is why your blood trails are less than satisfactory.
With my 42# and 37# recurves, I use a 3 blade Muzzy 75 grain broadhead. This broadhead is great for light poundage bows. It gives a very good blood trail due to the 3 blades and great penetration because of it's 1" width.
You can see my specifications in my signature.
Thanks to all that replied.
I am leaning toward Woodsmans this year.
Best regards, Skychief.